Ramblings of a waterlogged Seattle area gardener and wannabe urban farmer

‘Free-Range Chicken Gardens’ Book & Black Chicken GIVEAWAY!!

by myrubberboots on April 4, 2012

Just like you, I love a good giveaway. To help celebrate Jessi Bloom’s new book, Free-Range Chicken Gardens, we had a virtual book launch and giveaway.

The best part is that you had EIGHT chances to win and got to visit some great new blogs!! Plus, you not only had the chance to win Jessi’s book but also The Fresh Egg Cookbook. And because I wanted my giveaway to be better than the seven other bloggers, I threw in a Black Chicken!

That’s right, a Black Chicken! This past weekend I tasted a fantastic Zinfandel by Robert Biale Vineyards called ‘Black Chicken’ — a tasty wine with a fascinating history. You can only guess why I picked it. And because I love my black chicken, Licorice, I decided it was a great addition to my giveaway (the wine, not Licorice).

I mean anyone who stashes a bottle of wine in a basket full of eggs and veggies and gives it a code name ‘Black Chicken’ is my kind of wine maker and worth sharing…

To make a few extra dollars in the hard times Depression era 1940’s, an enterprising teenager Aldo Biale began discreetly selling Zinfandel, aside from eggs and produce. Because his home phone was a party line frequented by nosy eavesdroppers, Aldo instituted a code name whereby his customers could order his secret wine without risk of revealing young Aldo’s stealthy wine operation. Thus, “Black Chicken” was born – the nickname for a jug of homemade wine from Aldo’s barrels hidden out in the barn. — Robert Biale Vineyards

My Black Chicken

Robert Biale’s Black Chicken

Back to business. You can read my glowing review of Free-Range Chicken Gardens and my disclaimer on how I got a copy of the book to review here.

You could’ve entered to win the two books and Robert Biale’s Black Chicken by commenting on this post. I used a randomizer to select the winner on Thursday April 12.

To increase your chances of winning, you could’ve visited each of the fabulous blogs below and entered to win. Their giveaways may be formatted a little different (not as awesome) but still worth checking out — we all know you didn’t win the mega millions jackpot or you wouldn’t be here trying to win a free chicken book…

If you’re my winner, I will need to confirm you’re over the age of 21 and living in a location I can legally ship wine before shipping the wine. Timberpress will be shipping the books and I’ll order the 2010 Black Chicken Zinfandel from Robert Biale Vineyards. If you don’t win – you should check out both the wine and the book.

Oh, and for the local folks I hear Jessi is speaking at Molbaks this Saturday, April 7 at 12 pm! Her talk is on “Creating a Beautiful, Chicken-Friendly Yard.” Not to mention her talk is around lunch time and the cafe at Molbaks is my favorite…

WINNER UPDATE: And the Winner is comment #27!! Please note, I only counted the 95 contest entries and did not count my 14 comments or the one duplicate comment. Congratulations Lesa W.!!

Oh, a Silkie! I love Silkies. I have 2 small flocks of them right now, 1 in lavenders, the other in buffs. I have a trio of blacks, but they’re too young to breed so they run with the lavenders for now.
I would love to win this package. I’m not a big wine drinker, something about my taste buds don’t deal well with the tannins. It all tastes like vinegar to me, LOL. But I’d be happy to try Black Chicken.

Please enter me for the books, love to read either one. Now as far as the wine goes I do not know if you can send it to Oklahoma because of some interstate liquor law so I probably should pass on that. Sounds like a good wine thou.

Great job Angela! Funny how a wonderful getaway, gives you an idea for a creative giveaway. I love it!!! Is this the book you’re in (again). You shinning start of ours. Please enter me in your drawing – I’d love to win.

What a fabulous giveaway!!! To have and keep chickens would be a dream for me! I know it will happen one day, but until then I need all the advice and tips I can get to be a wonderful chicken mama. Angela, the Black Chicken wine is so cool! <3

I love the story behind the Black Chicken Wine. Makes you feel like your part of a big secret by drinking it.
And the book would be a great place to start my research on chickens since my plan is to install chickens this spring.

I know! The sommelier at the restaurant told the story to us – I loved it instantly. I already loved the fact that it was called Black Chicken but then you throw in a great story and I won’t shut up about it. Good luck getting chickens!

Ahahaha On one of the blogs that is doing the book giveaway, it asked for a funny story about chickens. My story involved Papa’s black chicken! Still my favorite colored chicken ever! So, I absolutely love this post and you definitely have a new follower!!

This is great!! I just got my husband to work his way around to having chickens. It’s the only thing he’s ever said “no” to! Discussions on where our food comes from, ethics and being part of the process in some way, prompted him to say, “You know, I think I can do chickens.”

I would love to be entered into the contest! I’m thinking after the bottle of wine asking my spouse if we want more “Black Chicken” would facilitate the arrival of some black Silkies! Of course it’s the city and not my souse holding me back from having them :(

We are so excited about this book! My kids have been begging for chickens in our new, big yard. We’re starting from scratch, digging up the yard and getting the garden plots in. We’re ready to build our coop too!

Who ever said that chickens will weed the garden never met my chickens—they eat the garden and leave the weeds for me! I need some help, so thanks for offering this book as a prize (and the egg cookbook and the wine!)

Just found you through another blog. I went and checked out your facebook and loved your page so I liked it! I’ve never heard of Black Chicken before and would love to try it! I just got chickens, built a coop from reclaimed items and am putting in a bunch of garden space so the books would come in extremely handy for me.

I LOVE all my 16 chickens, my kids and I can’t stop picking out new baby chicks every time we go to FHA. We started with 4, and now they have taken over the yard! We have a summer and winter home (the green house) for them and the only place they are not allowed is the deck (I have to have a poop free zone). I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my yard to beautiful and chicken friendly. A CHICKEN WONDERLAND of Happiness.

I’m jealous that you live in such a cool place… this book could help me start my backyard flock and help me feel a bit better about living in a way-less-cool (in many ways) place, if only for a little bit of each day :).

I just saw this book in my Suset Magazine! I so want chickens (and had one when I was growing up) but I can’t remember if they make too much noise and would disturb us and/or the neighbors if they have a coop by the bedrooms– we live in tract homes that have the bedrooms on the sides of the houses, about the only space we have for chickens. If not in this house, I need chickens in my next house!

I would love to win. I need all the help I can get! My daughters and I
are looking forward to moving in the next month so we can get those chickens we have always wanted! We already have names picked out. Thanks for the opportunity!

A Bottle of wine and a book? I’m in! My chickens are currently giving my poor yard some trouble. I could use some advice and a drink. I’m over 21 but just reached the age where I don’t get carded anymore.

Chickens? Wine? What could be awesomer? Also, a being carded story…. I was carded buying wine a while back, and the man in line behind me, trying to be chatty (as I am clearly, clearly over 21), said: “I bet that doesn’t happen to you too often…” To which I whipped around and said: “Um, are you saying I look OLD?” Poor man. He meant well.

I have 3 chicks (my first) I could use all the help I can get.I started eating free range eggs 2 years ago and can’t go back so I though I would do my own. I have a 2 ac. organic garden and 6 grandbabies to help.I’m hope to teach them good eating habits.These books would help me do it right the first time! If I win I will let you know how it is going! I love Wine!

Signed up to follow your blog! Most of the blogs I have checked out are people that are in the NW, but not down South as I am – but still we can all have our chickens and figure out with the help of this book how to let them free range in the garden! :)

We just got 4 chickens this spring and we are planning a part-time free range chicken backyard. I would LOVE to have these books as references! AND the wine to sip on while enjoying it all after the work is done!!!

I adore chickens – when I was a toddler they clucked around me thigh-high ha ha. So one day, I desperately want a yard where I can walk with chickens again. I’d love to win a copy of the books, but I read somewhere you have to be a US citizen – couldn’t living in Vancouver, BC count????